DATE: November 18, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Library Department
TITLE: APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT WITH INNOVATIVE INTERFACES FOR A FIVE-YEAR UPDATE TO THE LIBRARY’S INTEGRATED SYSTEM
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommends that the City Council approve an agreement with Innovative Interfaces, Inc., for a one-time upgrade to the Integrated Library System (ILS) using Innovative’s Polaris/Vega products for $22,132; and a five-year renewal of ILS services, with annual amounts of $77,669 Year 1; $81,552 Year 2; $85,630 Year 3; $89,911 Year 4; and $94,407 Year 5; for a total not to exceed $451,301; approve the agreement as a sole source purchase; and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In 2017, the City Council approved funding to the Library & Cultural Arts Department to upgrade the then-existing ILS, from vendor SirsiDynix. The Library moved to vendor Innovative (now a part of Clarivate, LLC) and day-to-day operations became more effective with faster, more intelligible responses and more intuitive operations. The Innovative system helped advance the Library’s process for automating book acquisitions more quickly, consolidated services from vendors, and improved coordination, communication and reliability, as well as allowing the Library to join the more cost-effective interlibrary loan service known as LINK+, taking advantage of books and materials available in other jurisdictions throughout the state.
Upgrading to the new Innovative products allows the Library to include the latest software and web-based/cloud-hosted functions, in alignment with best practices of the industry and as used by other library systems in San Diego County. It will also provide more improved Library staff workflow, reporting and analysis than the existing products, and offer further advanced digital transactions for Library patrons.
In 2026, the City Council approved a budget appropriation toward the upgraded Innovative ILS implementation as part of an overall Library technology appropriation, which covers the one-time cost of $22,132. The remaining $429,169 for the upgrade to annual services is an increase from the current system’s estimated cost of at least $375,180, making the additional service cost for that five-year period approximately $53,989. There have been reductions in other ongoing costs for Software Renewals totaling approximately $55,933 over the next five years therefore, sufficient funds for the higher annual ILS costs will be available for the next five years.
The implementation schedule for the upgraded Innovative system would be determined based on the contract approval date, and take place in FY 2027-28, with functions and services expected to be operational and available to staff and patrons in the same fiscal year.
The upgrade and renewal of services will be sole source purchases, as this is a proprietary integrated library system, exclusive from the software provider, Innovative. The Library has used software from Innovative since 2018, and finds it critical to operations to continue doing so. Only through its existing relationship with Innovative was the Library offered this upgrade, at this cost, to the more public-user-friendly and efficient product from the same vendor.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total for one-time software upgrade installation costs is $22,132; Software Renewals has an available balance of $141,429, so therefore sufficient funds are available.
|
Expenditure FY 2026-27 |
Account |
Amount |
Available 2026-27 |
|
Software Renewals - install upgraded ILS (One time) |
Support Services 350357101.5355.0009 |
22,132 |
141,429 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditure FY 2027-28 to FY 2031-32 |
|
Amount |
Projected available out of total account |
|
Software Renewals - cost for existing ILS |
Support Services 350357101.5355.0009 |
375,180 |
375,180 |
|
Software Renewals - added cost upgraded ILS |
Support Services 350357101.5355.0009 |
53,989 |
55,933 |
|
Total |
|
$451,301 |
|
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
The Library Board of Trustees approved this purchase at its regularly scheduled meeting on October 27, 2026.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: CJ Di Mento, Library & Cultural Arts Director
Reviewed by: Michael Gossman, Assistant City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Vendor Agreement
2. Justification for Sole Source